Assessing the environmental and climate crisis in the Japanese context: Shigeto Tsuru revisited

Abstract

This paper examines the political economy of the environment in the era of climate crises. The guiding thread is Japanese political economy of the environment pioneer Shigeto Tsuru’s methodology. Specifically, the guiding threads are “the distinction and unification of the real-physical and value-institutional aspects” and “the socialization of flow.” The paper will consider contemporary features of environmental problems and the climate crisis in conjunction with examining the development of Japan’s political economy of the environment. Tsuru’s theory to Kenichi Miyamoto’s intermediate system theory and environmental damage theory will be explored alongside Japan’s decarbonization policy and problems of “carbon captive structure of political economy.”

Keywords:

• Carbon captive structure of political economy
• climate crisis
• Japan’s decarbonization policy
• Shigeto Tsuru’s methodology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Subsequently, the Working Group II Report, which covers the impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability related to climate change, was released in February 2022. The Working Group III Report, discussing mitigation measures for climate change, was released in April 2022. The Synthesis Report, a comprehensive overview based on the three reports, was released in March 2023.

2 See Ueta (2013).

3 See also Yamakawa (2021).

4 The description is based on Tsuru (1972). Also, For Tsuru’s methodology, see Ehara and Yamakawa (2023), section 3.

5 See Miyamoto (1989, 2007). Also, For Miyamoto’s methodology, see Ehara and Yamakawa (2023), section 4.

6 See Oshima et al. (eds.) (2021).

7 For environmental damage, see Teranishi (2007).

8 See Yamakawa (2023a).

9 See Yamakawa (2023b).

10 See Tsuru (1983).

11 See Yoshihiro and Yamakawa (2023).